I was introduced to Cthulhu back in the early to mid 90s when a friend in junior high turned me onto Metallica, and soon I heard their amazing instrumental “Call of Ktulu” on their Ride the Lightning album. I was big into reading lyrics back then, and when I got to Metallica’s next album, Master of Puppets and I heard The Thing That Should Not Be, a section of the lyrics stuck with me. Years later in college I took a Horror Films and Fiction class and read H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, Call of Cthulhu and suddenly it all came together. My borderline obsession with Lovecraftian horror and Cthulhu has spilled over to me young daughter. A few years ago I picked up a copy of C is for Cthulhu at New York Comic Con, and the rest was history.

Now the creators of that book, Jason Ciaramella and Greg Murphy, are back with the follow-up, Sweet Dreams Cthulhu, which they are raising for on Kickstarter.

Their first book was an alphabet book introducing young kids to Lovecraft’s world of horror, complete with gorgeous, and almost too-adorable-to-be-scary illustrations. C was of course for Cthulhu, L for Lovecraft, N for Necronomicon. Sweet Dreams Cthulhu is a narrative story focusing on a relaxing, in bed, Howard Lovecraft who is interrupted by a sad and scared Cthulhu outside his window.

Howard helps the ridiculously cute giant squid-like monster of the old world get over his childlike fears of bad dreams, monsters under the bed, and in dark corners. The book is comforting and useful to any parent who deals with young kids who have bedtime issues. I read the book with my daughter and she loved it, and even joked that she was like Cthulhu because she used to have nightmares, until we installed a nightlight and gave her a dreamcatcher for under her pillow.

Ciaramella crafts a wonderful little bedtime story that adult fans of H.P. Lovecraft will love as much as the children they’re reading it to. Part of what drew me originally to C is for Cthulhu was the chance to pass on one of my favorite authors and stories to my daughter in a manner she’d accept. Sweet Dreams Cthulhu will surely become a nighttime tradition in any household.

To support Jason Ciaramella and Greg Murphy on Kickstarter, go here: Sweet Dreams Cthulhu. The project is open till May 26th.

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